Missing Students

Referring to an incident on Wednesday 10th November 1943

This is part of the text from an Email sent to me by Hugh Sanders. I was able to find an article in a local paper, which is reproduced lower down...

A couple of students jointly purchased a rather decrepit Dinghy equipped with a modified Austin 7 engine or it may have been the ubiquitous Stuart Turner, my recall is not that good after approaching 80 turns on the PA tank Coil. These guys would do a little fishing on Wednesday afternoons and at the week end in Llandudno, from where they operated, WX permitting. They would share their spoils, if any, with willing colleagues who had helped them over the first couple of breakers (not the QSO kind) and heaved the dinghy beyond the high water mark on their return.

On the day in question there was a strong offshore wind blowing that produced a deceptive calm in Llandudno Bay when I and others helped them into the water. Out to sea it was a different matter and these two guys were never seen again alive. I remember most of the Coll. congregating down at the end of the Pier until approaching Curfew that night, staring out into the blackness in the hope that there might be some indication from the Coast Guard that they had been located. It was not to be and parts of the dinghy were found later at or near Prestatyn and identified as that particular Dinghy. I started that term and I do not recall the temperatures being very cold.

A sequel to this story is that one of the more senior Students pinched a pair of shoes belonging to one of the deceased so a Kangaroo Court was set up in one of the Dorms and Physical justice was meted out. Quite an eye opener on the ways of the World for a country lad having just left School?

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